Five young musicians, principals of the Brandenburg Symphony, have put together an unusual ensemble as a result of a desire to experiment with new sounds. The instrumentation of this ensemble clearly demonstrates this idea: Alpenhorn, didgeridoo, saxophone, and percussion, instuments whose origins often are thousands of miles apart, which are woven through a mixture of composed and improvised music into a musical tapestry. Through its music, the Jacaranda Ensemble builds a bridge between the cultures of the world. The positive response of the public as well as international respect has confirmed the unusual concept of the Jacaranda Ensemble. Concert tours within Germany as well as abroad, as well as a positivereaction from the media are the visible results of this artistic endeavor. START The Musicians: Sebastian Pietsch     Saxophone Born in 1965 in Berlin. Began his music studies in Berlin in 1982. Since 1986 he has been the principal bassoonist of the Brandenburg Symphony. He is active in chamber music and has made a number of records, CD`s, radio and television productions, as well as guest appearances at home and abroad.Richard J. Mosthaf  Didgeridoo, AlpenhornBorn in 1962 in Stuttgart. Began his music studies in 1979 in Wurzburg and Nurnburg. Since 1991 he has been member of the Brandenburg Symphony. He is active in chamber music, and has made numerous CD`s, radio and television productions, as well as guest appearances at home and abroad.Thomas R. Hoffmann  Alpenhorn, French Horn Born in 1967 in Berlin. Began his music studies in 1983 in Berlin. Since 1987 he has been principal french hornist for the Brandenburg Symphony. He is in active chamber music, has recorded numerous records and CD`s, and been involved in radio and television productions, as well as guest appearances at home and abroad.Kay Degner  Percussion Born in 1973 in Gardelegen. In 1993 began musical studies in Berlin. Since 1997 he held a scholarschip with the Brandenburg Symphony. He is active in chamber musik activities, has made numerous CD`s, radio and television productions, as well as guest appearances at home and abroad.Matthias Dressler  PercussionBorn in 1965 in Berlin. Began his music studies in Berlin in 1982. Since 1986 he has been the principal percussionist for the Brandenburg Symphony. He is active in chamber music and has numerous records, CD`s, radio and television productions, as well as guest appearances at home and abroad.The basis for this AudioVision are the elements: Water, air, eaeth, and fire, which interact in an interplay with the basic colors blue, yellow, and the point of departure for the composition "Unda Orbis". Unda Orbis is a meditation of sounds, music, light, and rhytms. It goes beyond the mere spectacle of the usual unification of music, painting, and photography. Shapes, tones, and paintings ride through an artistic universe on a wave, whose origins somehow appear to be far beyond the comrehensible. The sound of the seemingly unnatural pairing of Alpenhorn and didgeridoo, the ritual instrument of the Aborigines, comes through the concert experience as a tapestry of fog. Timelessness becomes a sensory experience. The song of the whale, the trance-like rhythms of the voodoo drummer, the stomping dancers of the Australian natives, the light of space --everything appears to stem from the same source. Audiovision is the art from of the representation of sounds and images. The effect of aural impressions is strengthened through the visual. The visual is made complete in an exansive way through the aural. The concept of Audiovision is realized the pairing of photography and music. Painting and photographs are projected onto a screen in in a subtly changing sequence. The artist selects the pictures according to from, color, and structure. The sequence of pictures then serves as the basis for the mixing. Out of this blending arises a new pictures which is neither painted nor photographed. It is this phase which is the art of projection. It is inspiration for pictures which are newly created and continually evolving. The resulting pictures are like tones. They are abstract, similar to a photographic Partita for Music.  Jacaranda Ensemble   and Manfred BockelmannPress ... a curiosity such as the "Jacaranda Ensemble, arriving with two alpenhorns, has without a doubt made a lasting contribution to supressing the fear of the unknown with regard to uncustomary tones.  To promote the desire to listen rather than (droge) enlightenment--that is the recipe here.  And it seems to work:  The citizens of Brandenburg do not often so joyfully allow the night to become day.  What more could we wish for.  Albrecht Thiemann of the Maerkischen Allgemein Zeitung regarding a concert by the Jacaranda Ensemble at the Festival of New Music at the St.Paulikloster in Brandenburg, Germany (8/97) ... it is almost impossible to resist curiousity about the special combination of exotic instruments.   The Jacaranda Ensemble has succeeded in leading the observer and listener into an impressive, unusual, and above all unique tone world. .. so it remains on the record, the Jacaranda Ensemble has up to now been received enthusiastically by all. Nina Skurtveit onNorwegian Radio in a special about the Jacaranda Ensemble on NRK2.  (9/97)  ...From the beginning, the soloists have devoted themselves to music which forges a bridge between the different cultures and the tone worlds of different peoples... he five musicians understand the project as a glimpse beyond the limits of the classical work in the orchestra...   Thomas Wachs in the Maerkischen Allegemeinen Zeitung on"The Office of Culture and Jacaranda present a multimedia Project."  (8/99)  With this courageous project, the State Office of Culture, as presenter, has contributed to the first high point of the festival ....  Lutz Schumacher in the Berlin Morgenpost, 9/6/99, regarding"Unda Orbis" at the Brandenburg Music Festival 1999  A program which goes down well, as the much celebrated concert a week ago in Brandenburg has shown.  "Die Kleine Zeitung" (Austria), 9/10/99 "Unda Orbis" is a truly fantastic concert...... o see listening and to listen seeing:  only thus can one understand this tone. On the far side of space and time Jacaranda and Manfred Bockelman have created new dimensions........
Where before the darkness one stares spellbound at pictures which flow one after another, letting the emotions flow and feeling the meditative and calming richness of the sonority, which penetrate the ears through the foreign murmuring of the didgeridoo or the far eastern klang of the marimba.   Jorg Durchstecher in theBrandenburg Stadtkourier on 9/6/99 regarding a  multimedia concert "Unda Orbis" on September 3 and 4, 1999. Even more visual stimulus could probably not have increased the experience....
 Jan Schulz in theBrandenburger Wochenblatt (9/8/99) on themultimedia concert "Unda Orbis" on September 3 and 4, 1999. The musicians have founded the group as a complement to their more regimented orchestral music.  The musicians experiment brilliantly with nature tones.....  East German Radio Brandenburg (ORB) in collaboration with
DOKFilm Television Productions, Inc.,for the broadcast "Querstrasse" on August 30, 1999. The split goes relatively far, not only in content and musicality, but also the locations of appearances.  Radio Free Berlin (SFB), Radio Culture, in the broadcast"Counterpoints" of January 9, 1999.